About the Academy

The DeRo United Futbol Academy (DUFA) is an organization united in our belief that soccer can be used as a platform to make a positive difference to youth in Canada and around the world.

Established in 2012 by former professional soccer player, Dwayne “DeRo” De Rosario and his family, DUFA is headquartered in the East End of GTA and offers soccer training programs and camps to players from ages 4 – 16 years old.

Our goal is to help inspire, mentor and motivate players to achieve their full potential by creating an environment that is guided by the values of discipline, teamwork, leadership, respect and commitment.

Led by a team of highly trained, experienced and knowledgeable coaches, DUFA is dedicated to the long term development of our players through a comprehensive program that elevates the skills, confidence and competiveness of those looking to take their game to the next level.

Every member of the DeRo United team – players, parents, coaches and staff – are considered a part of the DeRo family, and play an instrumental role in contributing to the holistic development of our players both on and off the field.

The DeRo Legacy:

DUFA’s goal to help players achieve their full potential on and off the field is best exemplified by our founder, Dwayne “DeRo” De Rosario.

DeRo’s primary objective – and arguably his biggest contribution – is his commitment to the community. Growing up as an inner city kid, he had his life transformed through soccer. He feels that there is a need in our community for more programs that inspire, mentor and motivate youth to achieve their full potential.

Growing up, DeRo and his brothers (Mark and Paul) played the majority of their soccer years in Scarborough, coached by their father and mentor Tony De Rosario (aka Coach Tony De), a certified B National Coach.

This partnership between father and sons has led to an accumulation of knowledge and experience that has helped to inspire the creation of the DeRo United training programs and the DeRo United Futbol Academy (DUFA).

In 2014, DeRo initiated the DeRo Foundation in association with the Toronto Community Foundation. The mission of the DeRo Foundation is to use soccer as platforms to help youth within inner city communities develop the life skills and confidence necessary to succeed on and off the field.

Since inception, the DeRo Foundation has worked with community partners at the East Scarborough Storefront KGO (Kingston Road, Galloway and Orton Park) offering free afterschool programs to kids in the KGO community, which is neighbourhood where DeRo and his brothers grew up.

De Rosario and the DeRo United team have also offered free camps to youth across Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and the Caribbean (Jamaica, Guyana, and Tobago) to help promote the sport and teach kids the values it has taught him. In fact, one of the participants from the Tobago camps, Njemile Charles, was recently awarded a scholarship to play soccer at Bryant & Stratton College in Syracuse, New Jersey after she was identified at the 2014 Tobago camp.

In 2015, DeRo retired from the pitch leaving behind a legacy in Canadian soccer that will surely inspire generations to come. He is now a Major League Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) Ambassador, promoting MLSE sports in Toronto and community initiatives with the MLSE Foundation. DeRo is also a Pan Am Games Ambassador and currently sits on the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Ontario’s Sport Plan.